Uruguayan Colonel 'El Burro' Arrested by Federal Police in Santana do Livramento for Dictatorship-Era Crimes
The Federal Police arrested Pedro Antonio Mato Narbondo, 85, convicted by Italian courts to life imprisonment for crimes under Operation Condor. The Superior Court of Justice converted the sentence to 30 years' imprisonment to be served in Brazil.
Colonel Convicted of Dictatorship-Era Crimes Arrested in Rio Grande do Sul After Superior Court of Justice Ratifies Italian Sentence
The Federal Police arrested on Monday (26) Uruguayan Colonel Pedro Antonio Mato Narbondo, 85, in Santana do Livramento, Rio Grande do Sul. As oglobo.globo.com reported, the arrest occurred after the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) ratified a foreign sentence and ordered the sentence to be served in Brazil.
Known by the alias "El Burro", Narbondo was convicted by Italian courts to life imprisonment for his participation in the kidnapping, torture and murder of four Italian citizens in Argentina in June 1976, in the context of Operation Condor. The sentence became final in July 2021. As Brazilian law prohibits life imprisonment, the STJ converted the sentence to 30 years' imprisonment.
The STJ's decision was taken on Wednesday (21) by the Special Court.
The Colonel's Background and Connection to Brazil
Narbondo was born in Uruguay and served in the 1970s as an officer of the Defence Information Service (SID), a political repression body of the Uruguayan military dictatorship. In 2003, Brazilian Federal Justice recognised him as a natural-born Brazilian, as the son of a Brazilian woman.
This status made extradition to Italy unfeasible, as the Federal Constitution prohibits the extradition of natural-born Brazilians. The Italian government then requested the transfer of sentence execution to Brazil, based on the extradition treaty between the two countries and the Migration Act.
Narbondo lived in Santana do Livramento, a municipality on the border with Uruguay. Since March this year, on court order at the request of the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), he wore an electronic ankle monitor, had his passport confiscated and was prohibited from leaving the municipality — measures adopted in light of the flight risk.
Crimes Linked to Operation Condor
Narbondo's conviction is related to Operation Condor, a clandestine coordination between South American dictatorial regimes during the 1970s. Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay shared information and carried out joint operations to persecute political opponents.
The actions included kidnappings, forced transfers of people between countries, torture, disappearances and murders. Italian courts concluded that Narbondo participated in crimes against the four Italian citizens killed in Argentina in June 1976. Among military officers linked to the SID convicted of these murders, he was the only one who remained at liberty.
STJ Rejects Amnesty Act Argument
During the trial, Narbondo's defence argued that the Brazilian Amnesty Act of 1979 would prevent his being held responsible. The majority of the Special Court rejected the argument.
The case rapporteur, Minister Sebastião Reis Júnior, acknowledged that the Supreme Court (STF) considers the Amnesty Act constitutional, but stressed that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights does not accept rules that prevent accountability for serious human rights violations — such as torture, extrajudicial executions and forced disappearances.
"The American Convention, by having a status superior to that of the Amnesty Act, must prevail," the minister stated, according to the STJ.
The court also applied the sentence limit provided for in the Penal Code before the amendment made in 2019, considering this rule more favourable to the convicted person.
Request for Home Confinement Awaits Analysis
The defence requested that Narbondo serve his sentence under home confinement, taking into account his age of 85 and health problems. The STJ determined that this request be analysed by the court responsible for sentence execution.
After his arrest, Narbondo was submitted to legal procedures and remanded to the prison system, where he remains at the disposal of the courts.
Case Deemed Unprecedented in Brazil
Deputy Solicitor-General of the Republic Artur Gueiros, who acts in the case, classified the case as unprecedented in the country. According to him, this is the first time that an agent of a dictatorial regime will serve a prison sentence for human rights violations committed during a military dictatorship in Brazil. For the MPF, the decision may open the way for other individuals responsible for crimes of the period to be tried and punished.
Source: Google News BR — Crime